When you think about iconic cars from movies or TV, there are a few that come to mind – the ’67 Mustang (Bullitt), the Aston Martin DB5 (Bond), DeLorean DMC-12 (Back To The Future), the Ferrari 308 GTS (Magnum P.I.) . . . classics all.

The Dodge Charger is one that should most definitely belong to this list. In its most famous incarnation – the second-generation model produced from 1968-1970 – the Charger has rocked many an action flick and TV show. From the first Fast and Furious movie (in which Vin Diesel’s character smashes his to bits in the movie’s high-speed climax) to the Quentin Tarantino flick Death Proof (in which Kurt Russell’s character manages to do the same thing and destroy his) the Charger has been a solidly reliable muscle car presence.

Take the movie Bullitt, the film that made a star of the ’67 Mustang GT Fastback as driven by Steve McQueen. That film’s undeniably brilliant chase scene through the streets of San Francisco only works because McQueen and the Mustang have a suitably challenging adversary – in this case, a 440ci V8-powered 1968 Charger.

Perhaps for most of us, however, the second-generation Dodge Charger is most famous as the vehicle of choice of good-ol’ southern boy moonshine bootleggers Bo and Luke Duke in the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard.

The show ran from 1979 to 1985 and though it made its human actors – John Schneider (Luke), Tom Wopat (Bo) and Catherine Bach (as the ridiculously attractive Daisy Duke) – famous, the unquestioned star was the orange ’69 Charger emblazoned with the Confederate flag on its roof, ‘01’ on its flanks and its name, the ‘General Lee’, on its roof rim.

Every episode of The Dukes of Hazzard followed a similar formula – the Duke boys would find a way to get into trouble with the law and contrive an escape plan that involved a fast getaway in the Charger and an absurdly long jump over some obstacle or hurdle that the boys in blue could not hope to duplicate.

These jumps were always memorable. Often filmed in slow motion, even the most distracted viewer could tell that upon landing, the Charger’s body would bend and buckle beyond repair. And yet, in the very next shot, a jubilant Bo and Luke would be seen, without a scratch, driving a similarly unmarked General Lee off into the sunset. It was great stuff, but clearly the film company must have scythed their way through dozens of cars. In fact, more than 300 Chargers (including 1968 and 1970 models slightly altered to look like ‘69s) were destroyed through the life of the series . . . oh the horror!!

However, the second-generation was a popular car with some 400,000 of them produced in various configurations and some cracking examples of the General Lee continue to patrol the streets, including this one, owned by Nick Ladell from Automotive Consultants.

Nick, whose business is sourcing vehicles for clients, had an interesting time in searching out the Charger – a quest that took him to the U.S. and even to the birthday celebration of John Schneider.

“My original plan was to go to America and buy a General Lee,” says Nick. “I found one at the Mecum Auctions and a couple in a car yard there, but they were expensive and when I went to see them they were full of rust.

“John Schneider was having a birthday party and he had invited General Lee owners along, so I emailed him and asked if I could go along too. I got to meet him – he’s a really nice guy – and he gave me a rundown on the car. However, the ones that were at his show were not for sale.”

As it turns out, the best example of the General Lee Charger, and the one Nick bought and that you see on these pages, was actually discovered somewhat closer to home, in Western Australia.

“While I was in America, a mate of mine found one here in Australia,” says Nick. “It was in better condition that any in the U.S. and he emailed me to let me know the guy who owned it was interested in selling and that I shouldn’t buy anything – this was the one.

“So, when I got back, I took the next flight over to WA and bought it!”

The Charger was indeed in excellent condition and though Nick has only had the car for a short time, there is little that needs doing, or that he plans to do with it bar a couple of cosmetic touches.

“The cars in America were nothing like the one,” he said. “I think we take more care in restoring them here and whoever restored this one did a really good job.

“I’ve put some dump pipes on it, which has made it loud, and I think I might do the interior up just a bit. It’s a 50-year-old car, so there are little cracks here and there. I also want to get the original, push-button stereo, although that might be hard to find, and I am going to get Pedders to make the suspension stiffer. Americans apparently like it really floaty and bouncy but I like it harder so it feels more solid going into a corner.”

While it’s a nice drive, looks fantastic, and is quick, Nick says it’s unlikely to be his daily driver – its 440ci (that’s 7.2 litres!) engine is a touch on the thirsty side – but when it is out and about it garners plenty of attention, and requests come in for Nick to press the horns that blast out the first 12 notes of the famous tune Dixie.

“It’s surprising how many kids know what the car is,” he says with a smile.

“They say ‘It’s the General Lee’, ask me to press the horns and give me the thumbs up.”

And it was as a kid, that Nick fell for the car himself.

“I think I have loved them since I was a kid,” he says. “I was a big fan of the show when I was young, but I never thought in my wildest dreams I would be able to own one. I actually had a Smokey and the Bandit Trans-Am before this and I just woke up one day and thought, that’s it, I’d like the General Lee now. So, I got rid of the Trans-Am, went out to find one, and got it!

While it’s very unlikely Nick will be driving the Charger in a car chase with the police and looking for the nearest river to jump across, it is entirely certain that the good people of Brisbane will be hearing the thunder of the 440 from time to time, playing in concert with the first few bellowed notes of Dixie. That sounds like a petrolhead’s dream symphony . . . Yee-haw!